Meet the world’s best climber

Alex Honnold is the world’s best climber, making a living travelling around the world climbing the biggest and scariest rock faces on the planet.

Regarded as the finest free solo climber in the world, he has set numerous speed records, including his climb at Yosemite’s El Capitan, yet remains humble, being known in the climbing world as Alex ‘No Big Deal’ Honnold.

For those that don’t know, free climbing involves climbing without assistance, no ropes and no equipment apart from the bag of chalk hanging from their shorts, dancing with death every time they start to climb.

He spends most of the year in his white van, racking up miles driving from one spot to another in search of the next climbing high. He rents his apartment out on the cheap and donates a third of all his income to his charity, the Honnold Foundation, which gives back to some of the poorest countries in the world, places where he often climbs.

He’s often asked why he does it and his answer is simple, saying:

“Why wouldn’t I be attracted to it? I’m going to the most beautiful places on earth and enjoying a rigorous physical activity that I find super fun. What’s not to enjoy about that?”

Watch the incredible video of him below detailing how he got into climbing, what drives him and probes whether he feels fear:

Free climbing should be left to the world class climbers, but you can still get the adrenaline flowing by climbing on Outdoor Adventures residential trips for primary schools. You may get the climbing bug and be the next Alex!